The Complete and the Incomplete

1. "The numbers of living beings is vast. The mind is vast. The five elements of earth, water, fire, wind, and space, the three gunas (rajas, tamas, sattva), the Inner-Self, and the Primal Illusion are all vast and spread out all over.
2. The attributeless (nirguna) Brahman is also vast and all-pervading. Thus the question arises, "Is there only one vastness that is entirely undifferentiated, or is there some differentiation in their qualities and expanse?"
3. The Self is unseen, and this gives rise to the doubt, "Is the Self (Atman) with attributes (saguna), or is the Self pure, without attributes (nirguna)?
4. The listener gets this doubt and the doubt persists, and he begins speculating about "What is the Self?," and "How is the Self?"
5. Please listen now to the answer to the first doubt. Be attentive and don’t make everything confusing in your mind. Let the power of discrimination allow you to look and see for yourself in your own experience
6. Living beings function according to the capacity of the physical body and the capacity of one’s power to do activities and make decisions, and we can see that nothing is more swift than the mind.
7. However, the swiftness of the mind is limited. It is not limitless in its expanse. If we look, we see that the expanse of the earth is also limited.
8. Similarly, we can naturally see that water and light are not complete in their expanse. Understand that even the swiftness of the wind is limited in its expanse.
9. Space and Parabrahman are both complete in their expanse, invisibility, and density. There is no imagination in this.
10. The three attributes (rajas, tamas, sattva), the stirring movement of three attributes, and the entire Illusion itself, all come to an end. Their expanse is incomplete, and limited. It is not possible to say that they are complete in their expanse.
11. The Self (Atman) and Reality ( Brahman) are the two names that are always used to represent two sides of the individual self (Jiva) and the Self in the form of pure untainted Consciousness (Shiva). In order to aid in the understanding of the meaning of this, something must said in order to convey some meaning.
12. The Self and the mind together are very fast, and their expanse is very vast, but their expanse is not limitless. This can be seen by observing with a clear and tranquil mind.
13. If the attention is to the space above, the mind and Self are absent in the space below, and if the attention is to the space below, they are not in present in the space above. They do not pervade everywhere at all times.
14. If looking ahead, they are not looking behind, and when looking back, they are not not looking ahead. If looking to the left, they are not looking right. Thus, the Self and the mind do not pervade all directions.
15. For example, if flags are placed on all sides of you, how can you touch all of them at the same time? After understanding this, experience for yourself that the mind and the Self are not complete in their expanse.
16. Sometimes it is said that the sun rises and its reflection appears in the water. However, this simile is not entirely appropriate for what is called "Attributeless Absolute Reality" (Nirguna Parabrahman).
17. The simile of "the space in the pot" (at the level of the Self) and "the space in the room" (at the level of Universal Consciousness) is also used, but there is no accurate comparison that can be used to assign any similarity of Parabrahman to the expanse of anything.
18. The space element is but a small fraction of Brahman, and similarly, the mind is but a small part of the Self. The experience and realization of this can be gained from this indication.
19. How can space and the mind be similar? Those who use subtle thought about this are the great ones who understand completely.
20. If the attention of the mind is looking ahead, what is behind is non-existent. What comparison can used to compare the expanse of the mind to the complete expanse of Space?
21. Parabrahman, the Supreme Reality, is unmoving. A mountain can also be said to be unmoving, but can one say that they are the same?
22. How can one say that knowledge, ignorance, and wrong-knowledge are the same? Reflect on this and see in your own experience.
23. Knowledge means "to know," and ignorance means "not knowing." Wrong-knowledge means "seeing something and taking it to be something else."
24. When the "knowing" and the "not knowing" are kept aside, what remains is only the five gross elements. When this play of the five elements is thought to be real, this is what is called the "wrong-knowledge" of living beings.
25. The Inner-Self is the witness, the observer. That which is the individual self (Jivatma), becomes the Pure Self (Shivatma), and moreover, it is the Pure Self that takes birth as the individual self.
26. The individual self is subject to birth and death, and it cannot escape the cycle of birth and death. Therefore, God has stated, "I will come in every age taking birth."
27. The individual self is a limited being. Through investigation and the power of discrimination, the "Universal Self," or God, is seen to be filling the entire universe. This Universal Self cannot escape the appearance of the worldly existence.
28. Knowledge (Jnana) and Ignorance (Ajnana) are equal in that they both exist in the form of attitudes, or states (vritti). Pure Knowledge (Vijnana) is the withdrawal from states, or the absence of states (nivritti). This Supreme Knowledge can be recognized without delay.
29. The universe has been created out of Knowledge. Knowledge has expanded to a great extent, and has taken the form of many changes. This is the nature of Jnana.
30. The eighth body, or the Great Causal Body, at the level of universal awareness, is the Primal Illusion. This is this highest level of Jnana. "Supreme Knowledge" or Vijnana, is bodiless (and inconceivable).